Aincrad Recoded
by Getsuga Jujisho
Summary: What happens when the "one who protects" is rendered powerless? If given the chance, would he jump back into the fray? Now when a chance is presented to Ichigo, he will dive into a new death game. But what could be the motives of the one who offered him this chance?
1. Chapter 1

**AN: This is the first of a series of stories in my head. Though I have no idea how long it will take me to finish them. I will only work on one at a time.**

****Disclaimer****: I don't own SAO or Bleach.****

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Chapter 1: New Journey

It had been a week since Ichigo lost his spirit energy. At plain sight it seemed that he was dealing with his lose, but deep down it had already started red to slowly depress him. Each day he would watch as his friends would leave class to deal with hollow attack. There was nothing he could do to help. Sure, Uryu and the others could handle them but he started to feel useless. He wished that there was something he could help with. But without his powers what could he do?

As he walked home he thought of how if given the chance to be able to raise his sword again to protect, he would do it with no room for regrets. Unfortunately, sometimes you get more than what you bargained for.

The ex shinigami was too busy sulking that he failed to notice a hooded man that had been walking next to him for a while now. "So, are you really willing to do anything if it means protecting others?" Snapping out of his daze, Ichigo turned finally taking notice of his companion.

"Wah!? Who the hell are you!?"

"You haven't answered me yet. If you answer me, I'll answer you. Do you want to be able to protect other again?"

"..." It was a tempting offer, but who was this man? If he was an enemy why would he offer Ichigo help? In any case his wish had been heard. Why not give it a shot? "Yeah, i want to be able to protect other. At first I thought that I could handle losing my powers as a shinigami. But now, seeing my friends fighting and being unable to do anything makes me feel useless." All he could see was a wide smile form under the mans hood.

"I thought so. After all, the desire to protect others is part of your very nature. Now, let go somewhere more comfortable so we may discuss business." Raising his hand, he produce a bright flash. When it died down they appeared in Ichigo's room.

"Now, I believe that I have yet to introduce myself. I am the one and only creator of all time and space. Since I don't have an actual name you may call me what ever you want."

"What!? Wait a second, are you telling me your the damn Soul King!?"

"Actually, that would be my son. I won't go into too much detail so I hope you can follow along." With a nod from Ichigo, who had a nervous face, this supposed god started explaing. "Now, as you know there are a few dimensions including the Soul Society, Hueco Mundo, and the World of the Living. But what you don't know is that in reality they are all part of a single realm. In each of them I left one or more of my children to overlook it as they see fit. No two are exactly alike. Some alter slightly, other drastically, and other are completely different. Each work by its own rule and realities."

At this point in his life nothing could surprise Ichigo, so he couse to simply believe it. "Ok then. How does this have anything to do with you giving back my powers?" The grin that formed on the mans face was even greater than that of Gin Ichimaru's.

"Sorry, but I never said that I would simply restore your powers. What I offer is the chance to protect again nothing more."

"Than what are you planing to do?"

"It's simple really. I plan to break the boundaries between realms, and overlap one of them with your. You see there shall be a tragedy that will cost hundreds of lives. You shall take part in it and do your best to help out. Oh, and that won't be the only reality you shall travel to. But to ensure thing don't get too out of hand, I shall alter your memories and past in some of them. Also, as a show of good will you shall have access to your powers in some form or other. Just be warned, the trials you will face shall bring you great sorrow, but also immense joy. "

"Fine, I don't really mind that. But what about this realm, will you alter my memories here too? And what about my family and friends? I can't just leave them."

"Don't worry, no harm will come to them." At this Ichigo released a sigh of relief."But as for your memories, you won't remember anything about the spirt world. At least, not until _something _happens. So will you accept?"

"... Why are you doing all this?"

"That, I shall tell you if you return alive."

In truth, forgetting about Soul Society made him uneasy. But there was the possibility that one day he woul remember. If he said yes he could protect those in harms way. And after all he'd been through, the was hardly anything to worry about. With a confident smile, he looked up and gave the answer that would seal his fate in more ways than one. "Fine, I'm in." "Exel-" "But, I'll need you to somehow handle my school life."

"But of course. We wouldn't want you to repeat high school again." _'Not in this world at least.'_

"Great. Then let's get this show on the road."

"Actually, there is one last thing you should know. Since your powers shall be available in some way, I will have you deal with your inner hollow in some way or other. Before you ask, this is only because it amuses me."

'_Great,' _Ichigo mentally sighed, _'I'll have to deal with that bastard again.' _"Fine, I dealt with him once so it should be no problem."

"Well then, with that out of the way, time to visit your new home." With another flash of light they appeared in a small unknown apartment. The room they were in had a bed that looked like Ichigo's old one. Next to it was a desk with a computer and a helmet of some sort on it.

"Welcome to your new home. Consider it a small gift. Now, everything is already in place. All you have to do is place the helmet on your head and lie on the bed." Ichigo did as instructed wondering what the helmet was for. "When you enter this new world, you will have no memory of our deal and believe that you are there on your own accord. Now, close your eyes and say 'Link Start.'"

But before he could even say it, he remembered something that had nearly evaded him completely. "Wait! What about my family? Aren't they going to question where the hell I am?" This seemed to cause the transcendent a large mocking smile.

"Oh. For a moment I thought you would forget about them." At this Ichigo shot him a death glare. "Calm down,I was merely teasing you. As for your family and friends, they will be under the impression that you took part in a year long exchange program. And don't worry about the details, I will handle matters personally."

"Great," Ichigo said with a sigh o relieve, "I wouldn't want them to worry. Alright, guess thats everything. See you on the other side I guess. LINK START!"


	2. Chapter 2

******Disclaimer****: I don't own SAO or Bleach.******

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**『**Welcome to Sword Art Online. Please select your player name and your avatar's appearance.**』**For some reason he couldn't explain, Ichigo decided to name himself Mugetsu. He didn't want to waist time on his avatar so he merely tapped to randomizing button. 『You will not be able to change either later, are sure about your choice?』With a click he put yes. 『You will now be ported to the starting plaza on floor 1.』As the blue light engulfed him, his surroundings change.

When everything came into focus he stood in a large plaza with many other people. Since he hadn't chosen his avatar's appearance he checked a nearby window for his reflection. Surprisingly his facial features were mostly the same. The only differences were that he had red eyes and long, black hair that reached his mid back. _'Why does this look so familiar for some reason?'_

Regardless, what he needed now was someone to show him the basic. _'If I remember correctly, there were some beta testers for this game.' _As he looked for someone who seemed to know there way around he spotted two guys speaking in a small ally. _'Maybe one of them knows how things work here.'_

"Hey!" Both turned around. One had a red bandana around his head and the other was shorter with black hair. "Does one of you two know how to play this game? It's my first time using a nervegear."

"What a coincidence. Name's Kirito and this is Klein."

"Hey there."

"Klein here asked me to walk him through the basics as well."

"Then would you mind helping me out also. To be honest this my first time playing an online game." Since he normally had to work to keep his grades up and got into fight on his way home, Ichigo hardly had free time to play. And when he became a shinigami that time had all but disappeared.

"Well, Klein here also asked for help. It's the first day so I gues's it wouldn't hurt to show you two how things work." And with that the three made there way out to the fields.

* * *

Half an hour after they started all three had already reached level 2. At first it was slow going since Ichigo and Klein didn't know about sword skills. But once Kirito told them how to use them, the cleared out the field mobs within a few minutes.

"Wow, you two sure are good at this. Why don't we take a break and meet up later."

"Actually, I ordered a pizza for 6:30. So how about at around seven."

"Sounds good to me. I don't really have much to do back in the real world. So I'll stick around a little longer. How about you Kirito?"

"Well I ate before coming her and it'll be about an hour before my sister and mother return so..." Before he could finish Klein had grabbed him by the shoulders.

"You have a sister?! How old is she?" Kirito started to back away from Klein but failed to get free.

"Sorry but she doesn't like games. And I'm pretty sure she she wouldn't date a gamer." Before Klein could say another word, Ichigo decided to help Kirito get Klein off him. He chose to do so the same way he did with Kego and his father, by kicking him in the face.

"OW! What the hell was that for!" He said while glaring at Ichigo.

"You were starting to become a pain in the ass! Beside you should be glad, if I didn't stop you, you'd miss your delivery."

Looking at the time, Klien realized that what Ichigo said was true. "Oh crap! My pizza! Well, guess I'll see you two later." As both Ichigo and Kirito waved him off, Klien paused and asked a surprising question for the two of them. "Hey guys, how do you logout?"

"What are you talking about? The logout button should be at the bottom of the menu."

"I know that already! What I'm asking is why isn't it there?"

"..."

Soon both Kirito and Ichigo had their menus open looking for the logout option.

"The hell!? Why can't I find the damn thing?" said Ichigo with an angered expression.

"Thats what I've been asking you! *sigh* Maybe it's just some bug. These thing happen often with new games, right? Man, I bet the game managers are freaking out right now."

"I don't think so," interjected Kirito. "If it was just a bug, the game-masters would have fixed it by now."

"Wait, just what are you trying to get at?"

"I'm saying, what if this was intended to happen?"

" Oh c'mon, you can't be serious. Wouldn't that cause major problems for the company?"

"In any case, shouldn't we try and think of a way to logout," said Ichigo bringing the conversation back to the problem at hand.

"Mabye, we can try removing the nervegears," exclaimed Klien. "Like this!" He put his hand on his head in a way that seemed like he was trying to remove a helmet suck on his head.

"That won't work." Both Mugetsu and Klien turned facing him and asking why. "The nervegear was designed to intercept all impulses from your brain so to stop you from moving in the outside world. The only way to remove it is if someone were to remove it for you. My family should notice that something's up if I'm late for dinner, so I don't have much of a problem. How about you two, do you live with anyone?

"I live alone," said Klien.

"Same."

Before they could continue trying to figure out how to log out, a blue light surrounded them as they watch their surroundings change.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: I know that the person Ichigo made a deal with seems to have no purpose for what he's doing. Unfortunately his reasons won't be explained until a long way done the line. Just know that he will have an active role in reshaping various realities. He will also toy with the people within Ichigo's currently lost memories. That's all I can really say at the moment.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own SAO or Bleach.**

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All around the group of three were hundreds of other players appearing in the town square. Each wondering what was going on and why they can't log out. As more and more players continued arriving their conserns grew.

"Hey Kirito, what do you suppose is going on?"

"Don't know. They probably brought everyone here to explain the reason why we can't log out."

"Well lets just hope it's not something too serio-" Looking up at the virtual sky, Mugetsu noticed a red hexagon that seemed to be blinking. "What the hell is that?"

Both Kirito and Klein turned their gaze at the object in question. Soon the entire sky became red as it was covered by thousands of the same figures. A red liquid that strongly resembled blood suddenly started to ooze down. But before it reached the ground, it began to crackle with electricity. It started to take the shape of a red hooded being hovering above the plaza.

**『Players, I welcome you all to my world. My name is Kayaba Akihiko. By now many of have noticed a key feature from your menu is missing, the log out button. Rest assured this is no error. This is how Sword Art Online was meant to be played.』**

Soon many started muttering. _'What's he talking about.' 'He can't be serious.' _And many other things denying the words they just herd.

**『I can assure you, what I am saying is the truth. From this point on, if a player's HP drops to zero, they will die and not respawn. Simeltaniously the nervegear shall emit an electronic pulse that will destroy their brain. If anyone in the outside world attempts to remove it, the same thing shall happen to the wearer.』**

"No way! Is that even possible!?"

"It is." Both Klein and Mugestu turned toward Kirito with starteled expressions. "The nervegear has a large battery in it that should be able to emit a strong enough pulse to kill someone."

**『Regrettably over 200 players' helmets have been removed. Thanks to the reports, the chances of a nervegear being removed are now minimal, at best. Rest assured, the necessary steps have been taken, and your physical bodies are being transferred to hospitals to be taken care of. Now, the only way for all of you to leave is to clear all 100 floors of Aincrad. As a show of good faith, I have placed a certain in your inventories. Please, check and take it out.』**

Reluctantly, everyone did as told. The item was a simple mirror. Soon each player started glowing. When the light died down, everyone's appearance had changed in some form to match the way they truly look like.

**『With this, the «Sword Art Online» tutorial officially en-』**

Everyone watched as the hooded figure of Kayaba Akihiko started to shimmer. "What the hell is going on now?"

"Hey, maybe someone found a way to get us out!" But there hopes were soon crushed as they watched the image going back to normal, only this time it was wearing a black cloak instead of a red one.

**『Hello players, and sorry for giving some of you false hopes of salvation. I am merely here to inform you of a few... updates that have been made to this world. **The first is the addition of long rage weaponry. I know that some of you think this might be a disadvantage agenst others. But keep in mind that this all comes down to just how skilled one is agenst such opponents. The second matter is more of a gift. Amongst you there is someone I made a promise to, and this is my way of keeping it. Time, now within the game, time has been accelatated to four time that of the real world.**』******

This caused mutiple questions to start flying through peoples heads'. Was this guy for real? Could he really make time go faster in the game? But what really caught most of their attention was what he said about a promise. Someone seemed to share a conection to this man. If so then perhaps if they found him, he could be used as leverage to get out.

**『Now before I leave, there is one more mater I must inform you of. There is now a very _special _set of quest that have been scattered throughout all of Aincrad, along with new and dangerous areas. The quest will be many time more challenging than clearing high level dungeons, but the rewards will be well worth your time. Though they do have an extreme down side. Failure to complete some of them might result in disaster toward everyone as a whole. In addition, each quest will only be available once. So choose wisely or you might bring catastrophe upon is all.』**

With that the figure vanish and the sky retuned to its blue color. Everyone soon started an all out panic. Some mourning there circumstance, other in complete outrage, and some just stood in shock at the event that just transpired.

"Guys! Over here!" Both Klein and Mugetsu followed Kirito into an ally, away from the commotion. "Listen, soon players are going to start clearing the plains of mobs. Our best chance is to start heading towards the next town. I know a quick rout that should get us there with no problem. Would you two like to come?"

"Hm..." Mugetsu thought of the idea for a moment before making up his mind. "Sure, I'll go with you. After all, there still a couple of thing I want to ask you about."

"And you Klein?"

"Sorry," he said, "but I logged in with a couple of friends and I can't just leave them. But hey! We can still stay in contact. That way, if one of us needs help the other two can help." Both smirked at his idea before nodding their head in approval.

"Great! Let me just you and... Hey wait a second!" Both looks at him with puzzled expressions. "I just realized, you haven't said your name this entire time," he said pointing an accusing finger at Mugetsu. The later simply rubbed the back of is head sheepishly.

"Sorry about that. Guess it must have skipped my mind." At this, Kirito and Klien looked at him with a deadpan expression. "Well in any case let's fix that. My name is Mugetsu. But if you want, you can just call me Mu."

After exchanging their player info, both party went their separate ways. With one staying to help his friends and the other two setting out to clear the death trap they were now in, the events that would shake all of Aincrad were set in motion.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Some of you should probably go back and reread the last chapter. I forgot to add something and had to go back and insert it. Also, I willbe switching back and forth from calling Ichigo Mugestu or just Mu. Other than that I' like to thank urs-v for helping me finally think of a way to write a summery.**

****Disclaimer****: I don't own SAO or Bleach.****

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It has been two months since the death game know as «Sword Art Online» stated, and no one was any closer to freedom. They had yet to find the first boss. Even so over one-thousand people had died. Though most death were due to players full of despare taking their own life. Even so may still believed they could survive.

* * *

After Mugetsu and Kirito reached the next town, both had decided to go their separet the way they had been able to reach level 6 by clearing the wolf and boars that would spawn in their path. Since then the only time there was any form of communication between the two was when Ichigo messaged him on where he could find a better sword.

『Look for an old house with the Secret Medicine of the Forest quest at the edge of the forest near the village. The reward is the «Aneel Blade». Just make sure you don't cut the bulb carried by the Nepent. If you do, you'll be swaremed by mobs.』

The next morning he set out to complete the quest. It took some time to reach the house but thanks to Kirito the house was easy to recognize. So after accepting the quest he headed out into the forest to gather the required item. Unfortunately he soon found out that the quest would take longe than expected.

_'Damn, I've been at this for an hour and still can't find a single flower. There must be some way to get this done faster.' _Soon his mind came up with an idea that most would find crazy or completely stupid. _'Well, it's worth a try.'_ And with that he slash the bulb on a Little Nepent, causing the nearby mobs to surround him from all sides. _'Shit, guess it wasn't such a good idea after all.'_

By the time he finally finish clearing all the mob his HP had been depleted to the red zone. But he somehow managed to get two «Little Nepent's flower». _'All I need for the quest is one. But it's to be able to be used as a healing item. Maybe I should save the second just in case.' _As he was exiting the forest a tall white figure caught his attention. Above it seemed to be a quest marker. _'I'll check it out after finishing this.'_

And so he returned to the mother's house and gave her the «Little Nepent's flower». "Thank you, now I can heal my daughter. Please, follow me." He did as told and entered a room with a feverish girl lying on a bed. He watch as the mother added the flower into a jar before pouring it into a cup and give it to the girl to drink. She quickly seemed to get better and started hugging he mother. Mu couldn't help but smile at the seen before him.

"Thank you again for helping me kind sir. We don't have much, but if you wish, you may take the sword mounted on the living room wall. It would serve you better than us in any case."

"Not a problem," he answered with a smile. "Oh, there's something I need to ask you before I leave."

"And what would that be?"

"If I brought you more «Little Nepent's flowers» would you be willing to make some more of that medicine?"

"But of course! It would be the least I could do for your help! Just bring me the flowers and I'll see what I can do." Hearing this he handed her his extra flower and waited to receive two small flask with a clear green liquid. After that he stood up and grabbed the «Aneel Blade» from its place on the wall before leaving.

When he returned to the in at which he had been staying it was still near midday._ 'Man that quest was tiring. Still, I wonder what that figure in the forest. Guess I'll go back and checking it out some other time. For now I just want to lie down and...'_ but thanks to him getting up early, his exhaustion got the better of him, and soon he fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

When Mu woke up the sun was already setting in the distance. He had received a message sometime while sleeping. With nothing else to do he decided to see what it was about. The one who sent it was no other than Kirito.

『Hey Mugetusu, why didn't you come to the meeting? Apparently they have found the boss room. Everyone was asked to form party groups in order to avoid any unnecessary deaths.』

Upon reading the message, any remaining fatigue he might have had vanished. Realization soon dawned on him as he remembered there was supposed to be a meeting about clearing the game. _'Shit,_' he thought, '_I must have missed it while I was asleep.'_

『Sorry, I fell asleep after completing the quest for the «Aneel Blade». Anyway, just send me the location everyone is meeting up at tomorrow and I'll be there.』

『Fine, just make sure you don't oversleep again. We're all supposed to be there by nine.』

The comment about him oversleeping had caused a tick mark to form on Mu's head. _'That was a one time thing, damn it!' _He let out a tired sigh and decided to let it go. 'But want is there to do now, I just slept. And honestly I don't feel like doing any training. Hmm, I could check out that quest I saw in the forest.' And with that he left the inn and made his way back to the forest

* * *

As Mugetsu approached the place where he had seen the unknown figure, he could hear children laugh. "Now, now you two. Remember what we came here to do," said the voice of an unseen man.

"But master," he herd the children respond simultaneously, " we don't know where the enemy is. Why can't we play a game until then?"

"I'm sorry, but we can't let those blades fall into _his_ hands. If he is somehow able to replicate their power it will prove difficult to win in the upcoming war."

_'War? What do they mean? And who is this person they're supposed to fight? Well, guess there's only one way to find out.'_ He stepped out from behind the tree he was hiding. Thanks to the moonlight he was able to see the people before him. They weretwo twin boys and a man that lookedasif he was their father. Both children seemed to be no older than eight anhad green eyes and white hair, with slight bangs covering their face. They wore identical blue kimonos with vertical red and yellow stripes near their waists, light beige hakamas, triangular blue hats with small red fans, and blue shoes. The man similar to them except for his cloths. He had a black kimono and hakama with a white coat on his back.

"Oh, hello there sir. May I help you with something," the man asked in a kind manner.

"Actually I was about to ask-" Before he could finished, the two boys clung to his legs.

"Will you play with us, Mister? We haven't played since we left the village." Both looked at Mugestu with pleading smiles.

"Calm down you two. Let him finish what he was saying." Both let go upon being told.

"Aww, but we wanted to play."

"It's ok." The two turned to Mu, who was now showing one of his rare, kind smiles. "If you want, I can play with you guys later." At this the twins' faces brightened up.

"Yaay! Mister said he would play with us!" Soon they started to jump around in circles.

"Thank you." Mugestu's attention retuned to the man in black. "Those two haven't been able to have fun since this whole mess started. So, what was it that you were about to say?"

"Right, do you guys need any help with whatever it is you're looking for mister..."

"Ukitake, Jūshirō Ukitake. And these two are Sōgyo no Kotowari. It might seem strange, but they share the same name. As for your offer, your help would be greatly appreciated. Though I should warn you, if you find what we are looking for, you will be involved in a deadly fight. Are you still willing to help after hearing this?"

"Of course," answered Mugestu. "Ever since I've arrived here, every fight I'm in is a battle for survival. By the way, the name's Mugestu."


	5. Chapter 5

**AN; I checked and found out that the Aneel blade was not limited, just annoying to get. Also there have been quite a few clues that I have been leaving. And I would like to see if any of you can guess what might happen later on.**

******Disclaimer****: I don't own SAO or Bleach.******

* * *

"So," said Mugetsu, "what is it you need me to find?"

"I'm sorry but I cant tell you too much about it. For now, let's just say it's that a friend of ours have gone missing. There was an enemy attack and he received some head trauma. Thank to this, his state of mind caused him to see us as enemies and run away from us. To make matters worse, someone who betrayed us a while back is after him. We need to get him back."

"Ok then, how does he look like?"

"He resembles a human, but lacks any facial features other than his eyes. Also, he is completely clad in white. Luckily we managed to track his location to this first thanks to an old acquaintance."

_'Great, someone or something like that shouldn't been too hard to miss,'_ he thought. _'Still, I'd like to know more about these enemies he talks about.'_ "Thanks, so could you point me in the direction that he might be?"

"Of Course! Let's see now, there is still two parts of the forest we have yet to explore. We'll check the southern edge of the forest, and you can search the northern area from here. Be careful though, we felt a strong surge of reiatsu not long ago an suspect that he fought a strong enemy."

"Reia- what," asked Mugetsu with a puzzled expression. "Never mind that for now. I'll just get going now. See you later!" With that he ran in the direction Ukitake pointed him in.

"Well now, isn't he impatient. Almost reminds me of the man that helped save my subordinat don't you think so, Sōgyo no Kotowari?" The two stopped jumping around before facing him and answering with a joyful smile.

"Yep!" This in turn made Ukitake smile back at them.

"Now then, we should probably get going as well."

* * *

Soon after Mugetsu ran to his destinatio, he decided to turn on his «Tracking» skill to find anything that might be hiding. But so far nothing seemed out of the ordinary._ 'I hope this doesn't take me as long as my last quest.'_ He continued walking for another couple of minutes until he herd another person's scream nearby. _'Damn! Hope nobody is in trouble.'_ With that thought he sprinted in the direction of the scream.

He emerged in a small clearing lit by a crescent moon. The sight before him was one of death. On the opposite side of the clearing stood a tall dark figure with white, waist-long hair coming out of the back of his helmet. At his feet laid the body of a man wearing white. Only that the top half of his body was missing. _'The hell is this!? Did that thing do this? Don't tell me that the one on the floor was Ukitake's friend! Damn, I better take care out it before anyone else is killed.'_

But before he could charge at that monster in question, the reflection of the moonlight caught his sight. Next to the corpse lay a silver bow with blue line intersecting over it._ 'So that's what that guy in the black coat meant by weapons with a longer range.'_ Soon his attention was brought back to his enemy as he let out what seemed to be a pained growl.

It snapped its head back and lookEd straight at Mugetsu. Thanks to the moonlight he was able to see the frightening face of his opponent. It turned out that the helmet was actually his head, and that his face was covered by a bone like mask, with two horns on either side of his head sticking out forward. Over the center of his chest was a large hole that seemed to be filled with some sort of white substance. _'Shit, he saw me. Guess a surprise attack is out of the question.' _Thebeast continued to advance as and soon its name was revealed. _'Shiro? Is that suppose to be some sort of joke?'_

But when it was half way to Mugetsu, it stopped and grabbed its head in pain. _'What now,' _he wondered. "Oy! You feeling ok?" His answer soon came when both it raised its hands and they turned into a pair of long, black blades. "The hell! Hey, just who or what are you?" Instead of doing as told, it charged at Mugetsu with both arms crossed in front of him. Before he made impact though, Mugestu drew his new blade from his back and blocked the oncoming attack. "Don't feel like talking, huh? Then I guess I'll have to beat the answer out of you!"

Both jumped back before charging at each other again. Mugtsu used the «Vertical» sword skill only to be blocked by Shiro's left arm, before stabbing Mugetsu's left shoulder with his right._ 'Something's not right. All the mobs up until now have shown little to no intelligence. Yet this guy seems to be reading my movements and blocking my sword.'_

When the blade was withdrawn from his shoulder, Mugetsu noticed that his health had already dropped to the yellow zone. _'What!? How can one blow do so much damage?'_ He quickly decided to drink one of the vials he received from his previous quest. His HP instantly regenerated before he was slash down his back. Luckily he had movedout of the way partially, but still received a fair amount of damage. If he wasn't careful, he would be in the red zone soon. _'Wait, what?'_ his HP was restoring itself at a fast rate. _'I guess this potion does more than simply heal someone. I can actually feel slightly stronger than before!'_

Soon, another attack was heading towards him at high speeds. Shiro's arms were raised to his side, preparing to fall onto Mugetsu. "Not this time you don't!" He blocked both arms before kicking Shiro in the side. He quickly used the moment of surprise to slash the left arm off his opponent. This caused Shiro to let out a roar of pain. "Now we're even." His _friend_ turned and gave him a hateful look with his glowing, yellow eyes. He crouched down for what Mugetus assumed was another attack, only to be surprised at what happened next.

A large, red sphere started to form between his horns._ 'Oh shi-'_ The energy was quickly released in a large, red beam. Too fast for someone to dodge, Mugetsu decided to place his blade in the way regardless of how futile the attempt seemed. He closed his eyes and braced himself for the oncoming force that was about to follow. Only that in the end, he never felt it reach. _'Huh? Why hasn't the blast reached me yet?'_ Opening his eyes he saw Ukitake standing in front of him with two sword attached together at their hilt by a cord.

"Thank goodness," said Ukitake. "I made it just in time."

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**If you're reading this, it means that something personal came up. I'll try to solve the problem as quick as I possibly can. I won't update, but I will write the chapters. This way I can simply upload them when everything is set strait. I' sorry for having to make you wait so soon.**


	6. Chapter 6

**AN; Thanks for pointing out the errors that I missed. Also just to clarify, anyone else related to Bleach while in SAO will be AI's developed by the hooded man. There will be one exception, but that will be later on in the story, along with two other people from SAO. One last thing, I plan to diverge from the main story at some points to clarify a few thing that will happen later on.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own SAO or Bleach.**

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"Ukitake," said Mugetsu. "How... when did you get here? I thought that you were on the other side of the forest."

"Sorry, but now's not the time to explain. Right now, we need to defeat this hollow."

"Hollow? I thought its name is Shiro," he exclaimed.

"I don't know about its name, but that is definitely a hollow. They are born from souls who have lost their heart due to despair and anguish. The mask they wear, along with the hole on their chest are a symbol of this."

"Wait, so then why does this one have its hole sealed?"

"What!?" Looking back at the hollow, who was still recovering from using such a massive attack, Ukitake realized that where a hole should be was a strange substance. "This is bad, what ever that is, it's not normal. We need to finish this as quick as possible!"

"Easier said than done. That thing almost killed me twice already! So I hope you have a damn good plan." Both quickly turn their attention back to Shiro who was now charging straight at them. "And please, make it quick!"

As soon as Shiro was within striking distance, he vanished and reappeared behind Ukitake. "What, that thing can use flash-step!?" With a quick slash, he cut Ukitake down his back. "Damn. Guess, it's up to you now, Mugestu. If he uses that beam attack again, don't hesitate and get behind me for cover."

"Are you kidding? Look what he did to you, how could you possibly block it in the state that you're in,"he asked. "Besides, he'll most likely target you now with that wound."

"No, he won't." Mugetsu turn and looked at him asking to clarify. "For some reason, he is still after you. It's probably due to your lack of reiatsu. Even so, I can still help. I might not be able to attack anymore, but I can still defend myself," he explained with a confident tone.

With a smirk, Mugetsu charged straight at the enemy, only to be blocked. "Y'know, I'm not completely sure what's going on. But you can be sure as hell of one thing. And that's that we will win!" The arm that had been previously cutoff suddenly regret with its blade still on and raised to strike a devastating blow. With little time to think, Mugetsu jumped to the side and used the «Horizontal» sword skill and hack off both arms. Whith an outraged roar, Shiro retreated. Soon another beam was charging between his horns.

"Mugetsu, get behind me quick!" Doing as told he watched as the beam was absorbed by one of Ukitake's blades before being released through the other. When it was close to making contact however, the hollow mearrely sidestepped to avoid the redirected blast._ 'So that's how he block the one that almost killed me.'_ "It seems that he can't attack after each cero he fires. And he doesn't seem to be able to regenerate instantly. I suggest that we get rid of at least one of his horns, so that he doesn't fire another."

"But I thought you just said he can regenerate. How can cutting his horns help us?"

"Thats the difficult part. You will need to strike when he is charging the cero. There won't be any room for hesitation. If you do we'll both end up dead!" A low, hollow growl brought their attention back to Shiro, who to their surprise only regrew one of his arms. But instead of charging, he immediately began to form another cero.

"Are you kidding me! So that thing understood what we said and changed his attack pattern?"

"Mugetsu, stick to the plan!"

"Right!" Not losing another second, he ran straight at his opponent, only for the cero to diaper before raising his sword. _'What the hell?' _Quickly, Shiro latched onto Mugetsu's shoulder with his mouth and stabbed him through the heart. _'Damn it!' _*cough*_ 'Wait, why am I coughing up blood? Was this added to this quest as a special effect? So, I guess this truly was one of those "special" quest.'_ An image of his family flashed through his mind. _'Karin, Yuzu, dad. Is this as far as I was ment to go? I'm sorry, I guess I won't be seeing you again.' _Suddenly, he felt a strange shock to his head

**_'Tsk, is that really all you got to offer? Man, what a letdown you turnout to be!'_**

_'Huh? Who's that? Where are you?'_

**_'And here I thought you'd be stronger than that. How pathetic. Well, if this is as far you're gonna get, you might as well lay down and wait to die. So long, king.'_**

_'Wait a second! Tell me who you are, damn it!'_

**_'Though I should probably thank you, now I won't have to deal with that bastard. Hmm, nah. Someone as pathetic as you should just die. See yah!'_**

Mugetsu waited to hear the voice and confirm it was truly gone_. 'He's right, I am pathetic. Am I really just going to give up and die?' _New found determination surged through him as he looked his enemy straight into his visible eye. _'No! I refuse to die here! I will escape this death game and defeat any one who stands in my way. This I swear upon my soul!' _Raising his sword, he placed it by Shiros neck. With one last strike, he used «Horizontal» to remove the hollow's head. Its body fell to the ground, dislodging his blade from Mugetsu's chest. His head soon followed to the ground._ 'Finally,'_ he thought. _'It's over.' _With that thought, he too colapsed to the ground on his back. His eyes met those of his vanquished enemy.

'Thank… you,' he heard.

_'What!?'_

"Mugetsu!" His attention went to Ukitake, who was slowly walking to him due to his own injures. "How bad are your wounds? Do you have anything to heal them with you?"

"I'll be fine. Just look in my pocket for a couple of potion." He soon held two flask filed with red liquid. "Now, just let me drink one."

"Are you sure this will be enough? Wouldn't it be better for you to drink both?"

"Nah, one should do the trick. Plus, you're not looking too well yourself. You drink the other one." Not wanting to risk the young man's life due to more arguing, Ukitake complied and placed the potion in Mugetsu's also deside to drink the one he had been offered. As soon as he swallowed the liquid, he could feel is wounds slowly closing.

"Incredible," he said. "To think it would work so fast!" Mugetsu let out a smirk before closing his eyes and falling uncauntious. Ukitake's swords began to glow. When the glow subsided there stood the two boys known as Sōgyo no Kotowari, along with a regular katana.

"Is mister okay," they asked with worried expressions.

"Don't worry you two. He'll be fine." Both cheared upon hearing this. "But he is extremely exhausted, so he won't be able to play with you right now." This stopped their chears.

"Awww…" Both looked down in disappointment. It seemed that the promise they made would have to wait. "Soo… did we find what we came to look for?" Surprised to have forgotten about their original objective, Ukitake scaned the area for it. There was no sign of their objective, but he did find the bow that belonged to Shiro's last victim. His eyes widened upon realizing to who it belonged to.

"This can't be good. We should probably bring this back with us and inform the others." Before he could ponder further on the matter, blue light particles started gathering next to Mugetsu on the ground. "What… when and how could this happen!?"

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**Hey, so as it turns out my problem resolved itself on its own quicker than I expected. Well in any case, I'll continue the story like I have up until now.**


	7. Chapter 7

**AN;… Sorry, I didn't expect having to make all of you wait so long.**

****Disclaimer: I don't own SAO or Bleach.****

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Mugetsu woke up to the sound of Sōgyo no Kotowari playing tag with Ukitake. But the game stopped upon Ukitake taking notice of him rising. "Oh, your awake. So how do you feel, do you need any help getting up?" **  
**

"No thanks, I'm fine. The only problem is this splitting headache I have," he said rubbing the back of his head. "Oh, I almost forgot. What happened to the one you were looking for?"

At this the twins that had continued their game without Ukitake stopped and gave a saddened look. "He's dead, most likely devoured by that hollow we fought last night. And it seems that he wasn't the only one." Mugetsu looked at home for an explanation. "We found a bow near the fight. Our friend did not use one. And judging by its kind, it seems there is a second war approaching before we even finish this one. Well in any case, don't feel bad. Our friend will most likely be in a better place now."

"I see…" A sense of regret hit him. Could he have saved that person if he had run faster? This might all not be real, but the pain that Sōgyo no Kotowari showed was all too real._ 'I need to get stronger. That way I won't fail to save someone again. Be it an NPC or another player, I won't let them die if I'm around!'_

But his focus quickly shifted to something he realized once he was on his feet._ 'Is it me or is there a reason that I feel lighter?'_ Looking Dow he saw that it was due to his new attire. He now wore the same black kimono that Ukitake had, minus the white coat. "Um, is there a reason I'm wearing this, Ukitake?"

"Well you see," he began. "Your armor was nearly destroyed by the hollow. So I decided to give you a spare shihakushō I had. It might seem like it won't offer much protection, but it can slightly increase your physical abilities." Wanting to confirm this, Mugetsu opened his status window. But whhat he found was more than he expected. His shihakushō was giving him a 7% boost in all his stats and skills, and his level had reached 12.

"What the hell!? Last I checked my level was 10. So how did I level up twice already?" While he continued talking, Ukitake and Sōgyo no Kotowari mearly looked at him like he had grow a second head. "It must have been that hollow. Even if that thing was on the first floor of this game, that thing was extremely strong. Most likely it was ment to be fought with a larger group of players."

"Um… excuse me, what game are you talking about?" This caught him off guard. For some reason or other Ukitake and the twins seemed overly self aware. But in any case that wasn't particularly a problem for him.

"Nothing, don't worry about it. I was just thing out loud for a moment." He was then tackled by Sōgyo no Kotowari with a hug to the ground.

"Play tag with us! You said you would play once it was all over." Both sat atop Mugetsu's chest while he rubbed the back of his head due to the fall.

"Sure thing, but could you get off me first." An so all four of them played for about half an hour before Ukitake had to take a break. But both kids still seemed to be completely unaffected.

"Ok now, settle down you two. How about we eat before continuing the game. I'm sure our new friend must be hungry after what happened last night." Mugetsu was about to say he was fine, but his virtual stomach growled before he could even get a word out.

The meal that followed was calm and simple. They ate some rice balls Ukitake had and some bread that Mugetsu had bought back in town. To drink they just had some water and tea that Ukitake brewed.

"Oh, before I forget. There is one more thing I'd like to give you for your troubles." He pulled a long katana from behind him before handing it to Mugetsu. It had a blue string tied to the bottom of a hilt rapped in red. The guar was a rectangle with a few simple designs on it. "This," he said, "is a zanpakutō. It's the primary weapon of us shinigami, though I won't go too much into that right now. In any case, that blade will only become as strong and powerful as ones own strength."

"Are you sure," asked Mugetsu. "I failed to save your friend, and I nearly got us all killed. Should you really be rewarding me?"

"Excuse me," said Ukitake with a smile. "Are you forgeting that it's thanks to you that we slew the hollow in the end? Now with that monster gone we don't have to worry about our enemy getting ahold of our friend."

_'Wait, is he really ok with letting his friend die just to stop someone? No, he protected me from those red blast. If he wanted me dead he could just have let me to die rather than heal me. Is there more to his words or something?'_

"As for our friend," he continued, "he might not be by our side anymore, but I'm sure that he will still find his path." Sōgyo no Kotowari stood at Ukitake's sides, who then kneeled and hugged them.

"I see…" _'It's not that he would sacrifice his friends, but that he believes that they will still find peace.'_ Mugetsu might have failed to meet the original goal of the quest but still managed to gain much from it. He had managed to level-up in the span of one night and received a powerful new sword along with some intriguing gear. And most of all he had found the time to simply relax and enjoy some of the things this death game had to offer._ 'Wait… didn't I have to meet up with the other players for the boss fight today?'_ Glancing at the time he saw it read 8:52. "Shit, I'm late!"

Ukitake and the twins looked at Mugetsu who seemed to be in a panic. "Is something the matter?"

"Sorry but there is somewhere I need to be." He got up and grabbed the zanpakutō he had been given. "Thanks for everything but I must leave."

"Oh don't worry, we understand that you have your own problems to attend to. Come to think of it, there's someone we have to see ourselves."

"Thank," responded Mugetsu. "By the way, what do think of finishing our game if we ever meet again?" At this Sōgyo no Kotowari's face lit up with a joyful smile.

"You promise," they asked in unison. Their new friend merely nodded his head. "Yaay! Mister said he'll play with us again!"

"Well, guess that's everything. See ya around." And with that he left while the three companions waved him goodbye. _'Man, can't believe I forgot about the boss fight!'_

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**AN: Again, sorry for not updating in a while. I'll try to add at least two more chapters before the end of the year.**


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: I know that it's extremely early but, I've decided the possibilities for the future pairings. For now just read and enjoy the chapter.**

**Disclaimer; I don't own Bleach or SAO**

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Deep within the dungeon that contained the first Floor Boss, over 30 had gathered at the entrance to the Boss Room. At the head of the group was a blue haired man wielding a sword and shield, Diable.

"Alright," he said as he stabbed his sword into the ground. "Today is the day we will defeat the floor boss, and prove to everyone else that this game _is_ beatable!" Everyone present let out a cry of approval at his words.

"Now then, is everyone ready for this?"

"Wait!" Everyone turned to the hall they had just arrived through. What they saw was an orange haired man wearing a black kimono. "Sorry I'm late!"

Upon his arrival many of those present started talking amongst themselves. "Who is this guy?" "Does he really plan on fighting the boss with that gear?" "Maybe, look at his sword. I thought you couldn't get blades like that on the bottom floor."

"Hey! I thought we were here to help clear the first floor."

"Right," said Diable getting everyone's focus. While he started to remind everyone of the boss' attack patterns, Mugetsu found Kirito among the crowd. Next to him stood a girl who seemed about their age covered with a cloak.

"You're late," said the swordsman. "Did you sleep in again."

"Not exactly. I was knocked out cold after completing the quest for this sword."

"What about the «Aneel Blade»?"

"Not much to say, it did come in pretty handy when fighting the quest boss. So in that sense, I guess I owe you one. And by the way, who's your partner," he asked pointing at the hooded figure that had been standing quietly behind Kirito during their conversation.

"Right, this is Asuna. We met at yesterday's meeting. It was decided that everyone should form parties of around six. The two of were the only ones left out. So I decided to invite her to join me, and here we are."

"I see," said Mugetsu, nodding at Kirito's explanation. He then turned to Asuna before introducing himself. "Well, nice to meet you, Asuna. My name is Mugetsu."

In response she just glanced at him and asked, "do you have a habit of arriving late to important meeting?" At this his usual frown grew while Kirito let out a smirk.

"No, I don't," he responded. "The reason I got here late was because I nearly had myself killed twice last night."

"So then, the problem is that you are a reckless idiot," said Kirito stating his opinion.

"Shut it! You're the last person I want to her that from."

"Well in any case, you want to join our party?"

"No thanks. After what happened last night I don't really feel well,"he responded.

"Shouldn't that be a greater reason for you to join us," asked Asuna.

"That's not what I mean, not exactly anyways." He unsheathed his zanpakutō and observed the blade carefully. "It might have something to do with the fact that the quest was one of the newly added one, but for some reason I haven't felt the same since finishing it." Before they could talk about the subject further, Diable's shout brought their attention back to the front.

"Alright, this is it people! There's no turning back now. Stick to the plan and we will win this. Also, one last thing before we head in... SURVIVE!" At his words, nearly all those gathered let out a battle cry before rushing in and focused on their role. All but one.

Due to arriving late, Mugetsu knew none of the plans details. So instead he simply took on any of the «Kolbalt Sentinels» that others were too busy to take care of at the moment. But something he didn't expect happened when his blade cut his enemy, blood. Blood was leaking from the cut he had made. _'Just like back then.'_

The sentinel let out a pained, animalistic cry before frantically swinging his mace. Surprisingly the blows seemed to move slower and were easy to block. Until it started doing something else unexpected. "You will pay for that, human!"

"Wait, did you just-" in that single moment of surprise the Kolbalt managed a powerful, downward blow on Mugetsu's left shoulder. And with it an audible crack could be heard."Argh, you bastard!" Even from behind its helmet, Mugetsu could feel the Kolbold's pleased smirk.

"What's the matter human, having problems holding your sword?" He mearly glared at the creature before smirking himself.

"Actually, one arm is more than enough to take you down. Or is that the reason you did it? Because you couldn't find a way to beat me otherwise?" In response it raised its mace and started charging , aiming straight at Mugetsu's head. As it came crashing down it was pushed aside by the zanpakutō in Mugetsu's undamaged arm. Before the sentinel could react the blade passed through an opening in its helmet and pierced his head. When the sword was removed, the body simply went limp and collapsed to the ground. But instead of shattering, it remained there, blood oozing from its cuts.

Without a moment to catch his breath, another «Rune Sentinel» charged at him. This on began shouting and cursing, claiming he would avenge his fallen comrade. So with no time to think much about what was happening, Mugetsu desired to put the issue on hold and began to deal with the approaching enemies closing in. He kept his wounded arm close to his stomach in order to avoid further injury to it.

Soon other parties that had been fighting in close proximity to him began helping the lone warrior. None knew what had triggered the mobs' increasing hostility towards him. But soon many started to noticed something that disturbed and confused them, where Mugetsu's blade had cut, blood would leak from those wounds. Where as their attacks only left the usual pixelated marks. What was more concerning though was the bodies slowly gathering around him. Each had blood leaking from them. This had caused a large puddle of crimson to surround him.

All those who watch as he took down enemy after enemy couldn't help but wonder the same thing. Who was this, standing in a sea of red, and how was he fighting so well with only one arm?

Soon there attention was brought back to Ilfang by a loud scream.

"LOOK OUT!"

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**AN; First of, I will admit that I might have gone overboard with the whole blood thing, if so then sorry. I was planning to make this chapter longer but I'll stop here for now.**


	9. Chapter 9

**AN; So here is the second part of the boss fight. Hope you people enjoy.**

**Disclaimer; I don't own Bleach or SAO**

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"LOOKOUT!" The warning was directed at Diable who was charging at Ilfang by himself. "It's not worth getting yourself killed for!" Unfortunately said person chose to ignore whoever had screamed at him to be on guard. And so what followed was a surprise series of blows by Ilfang's blade. As the finishing blow approached a mysterious flash of black overtook his vision. One second he was facing death at the hands of the Kolbold lord and the next he was leaning against a pillar away from the fight.

"Y'know, normally when someone tells you to be careful it's wise to listen to them." With out even giving him a chance to protest or react, Mugetsu shoved a healing potion into Diable's mouth. Afterwards he turned and pointed at Kirito. "You, make sure his health is back in the green zone before he jumps back in." Nodding his head in response he was quickly at Diable's side, supporting his head in arms.

He did as he was told and made sure Diable's health stayed out of the critical zone. "You knew, didn't you? About the last hit bonus."

"Then I was right, you were a beta tester too." He received his answer with a simple nod. "Then why did you do it? You must have known that something was of about the boss's attack pattern the moment he took out that sword."

"I- wanted to show them that this game is beatable, that there's hope of returning to the world we left behind." Surprised, Kirito merely looked at him with a sense of respect. Though he still believed the knight's actions to be foolish. "But now it seems that I won't be the one to show them."

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**_Back to the fight_**

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None of the players present would dare interfere due to the sear ferocity of the battle happening before them. Many looked for an opening, a single crack in Ilfang's defense. They had already analyzed his attack patterns and sword skills he used, but something had changed, his eyes. Those same feral eyes many of them had fought against just moments ago now possessed intelligence. Deep down many felt how if any of them dared to charge in, Ilfang would make quick work of them.

Soon, however, both came to a standstill. Neither dropping their guard. "Well now," said Ilfang, "aren't you just full of surprises." All those that had been able to do nothing but watch merely watched with curiosity. By now they had noticed that all the sentinels the orange haired swordsman had fought reacted to him with strong aggression, and some even taunting him. Whatever doubt in their mind was now gone, Mugetsu had found one of the unique quest.

"Is that so," said Mugestu. "Because to me it seemed like you could barely hold your own against the others."

"Ha! As if the likes of them could hold a candle to my strength. You humans are all the same, you delude yourself that you can surpass us. That's how it was centuries ago and that is how it is now!"

With great speed, Ilfang charged at Mugetsu. Once in front of him he activated a skill that moved in an upward motion. Rolling to the side in time to avoid any damage, Mugetsu saw as Ilfang bounced of the sealing with his sword rapidly approaching. "Shit." Raising his own blade to defend, he deflected the kobold towards one of the pillars. Stabbing into it, Ilfang came to a stop, but not without shattering it.

"Remind me again, what was that you said a moment ago?" Glaring at his opponent while catching his breath, Ilfang let out a hateful snarl. "I think it was something about how we humans are weaker than you? Looks to me that all that was nothing but talk, seeing how I'm holding my own against you."

_**"Shut it!"** _Glancing around he spotted the ax he had discarded moments ago. He stabbed his sword into the ground and picked it up. Using all his strength, Ilfang tossed it aiming for the man wearing the black shihakushō's neck. As it quickly approached, Mugetsu prepared to dodge. Soon, however, he realized that if he moved out of its trajectory it would hit anyone currently standing behind him.

_'So that's what you're aiming for, you damn bastard.'_ With not enough time for the other to react, even if he were to warn them, he chose what he believed to be the best course of action. He just hoped that his zanpakutō was strong enough to block the incoming ax.

To his luck, it did. Unfortunately, there were a few things he forgot to keep in mind. As soon as the ax had been deflected upward, Ilfang had charged straight for him. With one quick slash, he made a deep cut down Mugetsu's right leg. Unable to keep standing due to the pain and severity of the wound, he fell on his back. All he could do as he watched Ilfang approach was raise his sword with one arm while using the other to hold himself up.

Raising his own free hand, Ilfang caught his ax as it descended. "It seems your luck has finally run out, human. Though seeing as you have provided me with such a fight, I shall remember your name. I believe I heard someone call you Mugetsu." As the blade came crashing down, Mugetsu closed his eyes, awaiting the pain. But when he opened his eyes, standing before him was Kirito, sword in hand blocking Ilfang.

"I see," said the black haired swordsman. "Fighting like that, it's no wonder why you arrived late. You probably fought just as recklessly last night too, didn't you?"

"Another pest!? That's it, the last one at least had the decency to fight me one on one. But if the rest of you wish to interfere, then don't expect any mercy from me!" While he continued to clash swords with Kirito, Asuna had snuck up behind him and unleashed a rapid succession of blows to his lower back.

"And what makes you think that you should expect any form us," asked the hooded girl.

"Grr, you damn humans!" Ilfang quickly spun around and slashed at the rapier user, only to miss and destroy her cloak instead. Without missing a beat, Asuna struck again while Kirito slashed the back of his knees. Ignoring the pain, he once again launched himself into the air and leaped of the sealing. However, before falling he grabbed his ax that had gotten stuck in the crack it had created. Now using both hands to fight against the two member party, a wave of sparks was created whenever they clashed against each other.

_'Wow, those two are holding their own pretty well. And their movements look as if they've been fighting side by side since before this.'_ As Mugestu kept observing the fight while his leg recovered, his eyes widened when he caught sight of what Ilfang had pulled from his back using his tail. _'Another sword!?'_ This one however was much smaller than the one currently in his hand._ 'Like hell I'll let you pull another trick like that again!' _

Within the next few seconds, his right leg was fully recovered, and he was charging back into the fray. Holding his zanpakutō in a reverse grip, he stabbed it into the ground, pinning Ilfang's tail and causing the large kobold to stumble. "Kirito, Asuna! Hurry and finish him now while he's off balance!" With a nod both did as instructed and dealt a rapid array of strikes that ended with Kirito landing the final one. And just like the rest of the sentinels killed by Mugetsu, the body remained, even after the words «Congratulations» appeared and everyone present let out s victory cry. But the mood of celebration would soon be put to a stop.

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**_Well, with that the fight is concluded. Hope you readers like it. Review and tell me what you thought of it. Until next time! _**


	10. Chapter 10

**AN; ...In all honesty, not much will be happening in this chapter. The most relevant information will appear towards the end of this.**

**Disclaimer; I don't own Bleach or SAO**

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"STOP CHEERING!" Everyone in the room turned around to face . "You knew, didn't you? I saw the way you fought. There's no way you could have stood a chance against the boss!" All those present followed Kibaou's accusing finger towards Mugetsu. "And then there's that sword of yours. No way in hell you didn't know about it before coming here!" By now most were murmuring between each other. What Kibaou said seemed to hold some possible truth. But just how some shared said opinion, other also talked about how he might have, like they have previously thought, gained the zanpakutō in his hand.

All their discussions soon came to a stop, however. The reason? A dark and mocking laugh coming from none other than Kirito. With everyone now quiet and looking at him, he calmly turned to them and put on an egotistical smile.

"Him, a beta tester? Please, I personally taught him how to wield a sword near the beginning of this whole mess. It would truly offend me if you were to compare him to me." Shock quickly filled everyone in the room, except for a few within close proximity to him. "Though I must admit, I never expected him to get so far after I _abandoned_ him." With those words, everyone's rage was soon redirected at him.

"And that's not all," he said. "I'm far more stronger than the other beta testers. During the trial, I reached higher levels, floors, and even found more information and secrets than any info broker could ever sell you. So don't go comparing me to the rest of you." At this everyone began throwing insults at him.

"BULL SHIT!" One cry sounded over the others, once again redirecting their attention. "There's no way you know as much as you claim to." A smirk soon came onto Mugetsu's face. "Or have you forgotten, this whole world has been altered." He then raised his zanpakutō in front of his face in a horizontal position before continuing. "Now, there is no guarantee that what you learned from the beta and this new world coincide. This blade is proof of that." His usual scowl soon returned to his face as turned and looked at the others dead serious.

"Listen up! All of you who think that you can rely on what the betas have given you are sorely mistaken. Sure, there might still be some use to it, but remember, the monsters we face are no longer guaranteed to follow their set programming." Those present were taken aback by the authority and power his voice seemed to hold. "Now I don't know about you, but I have no intention about spending the rest of my life in this twisted and distorted world, created by a couple of sadistic bastards! If you want to waist time accusing others of your weakness, then be my guest. But know that it won't do anything to help you escape."

All stood in silence at what they just herd and reflected upon it. Did they really have the time to waste on discriminating the one who just instigated them? No, what had to be done was clear, as well as the path they had to take.

"I see," whispered the black haired swordsman. "So then, is this the answer you came up with?" Unspoken, yet understood, Mugetsu's response was conveyed. "Well then, in that case, I guess I would have to be in agreement with you. I too, wish to leave this wretched place as soon as possible. So, I guess we share a common goal in that scene." Swiping his hand across his inventory, Kirito equipped the «Coat of Midnight» he received as a last hit bonus from Ilfang. "Though I'll have to ask you something, don't get in my way."

"Likewise," was the response from Mugetsu. With that said, both made their way to the entrance to the second floor. None dared follow them out of both part fear and respect.

Once out of sight however, the two soon began their own private conversation as they ascended the stairs.

"Nice speech back there, Mu."

"Thanks, I guess. Though I thought your little performance was a bit... exaggerated. Especially that stupid laugh at the beginning."

"Shut up," said Kirito in an annoyed tone. "You should be thankful that I cleared the accusations about you being a beta."

"You're right, I should. But then again, who stopped the angry mob against you?"

"I didn't ask you to."

"Nor did I, so how about we call it even." They continued to walk in silence after that for a few minutes before Mugetsu decided to say something. "I meant it you know, everything I said back there." His companion turned to him with a questioning expression. "The sooner we clear this game, the sooner I can get back to the real world and see my family." Kirito merely returned his gaze forward with a smile on his face.

"I know, the same could be said about me." Before either of them could could continue their conversation, a shout stopped them dead in their tracks.

"Wait!" Turning around, they found the hooded party member of Kirito's that had played a crucial role in eliminating Ilfang, Asuna. "There's something I almost forgot to ask you. Before the whole fight, you introduced me by my name. How did you know what it was? I don't remember ever telling you."

With no real interest in the discussion to follow, Mugetsu returned his gaze forward and began walking away.

"What's up? Leaving so soon?" Stopping, he turned his head and glanced at the two with an uncaring look.

"The hell do you mean? After that act we pulled off back there, I don't think that it would be a good idea if we were to continue working together. At least, not in public." With a smirk on his face, the one who would soon become to be known as the infamous Black Swordsman nodded his head in agreement. "Well... there's that, and the fact that I've been relying heavily on you. If I truly plan on getting anywhere, then I have to forge my own path."

With his thoughts voiced, Mugetsu departed, this time without interruptions. The future ahead showed no signs of what to expect. But that didn't mean that a chain of events had not began to unravel. For both in the higher floors and the lower recesses of Aincrad, something had begun to awaken. Within time, it would bring great destruction upon all of its inhabitants. But it was not the only thing that would bring change. An unknown power to this virtual world had already set in motion something with the ability to severe said fate.

* * *

"Are we there yet?" "Can we take a break?" "When can we see our new friend again?" Trekking through a tunnel that seemed to ooze some sort of purple slime was Jūshirō Ukitake, captain of the thirteenth division in the Gotei 13. Behind him followed his zanpakutō, Sōgyo no Kotowari.

"Don't worry, you two,"he said with a kind and gentle smile. "Considering what happened, we are likely to be sent back in order to tie up any loose ends we might have missed. Though I wonder, what was that large wave of energy we felt before leaving?" Both twins look at him with serious expression, remembering the dark wave of power. "Well in any case, we best come prepared and deal with any possible threats the Soul Society."

* * *

Deep within the lowest regions of Aincrad, a figure bound in chins and cloaked in darkness stirred. One of his hundred bindings came undone, and with returned a portion of what had been take.

_**"So,"**_ he mumbled regardless of the fact that no one would hear him, _**"after half a century, one of these accursed seals has finally been released. Good... now soon I will be able to finish what I began so long ago."**_

* * *

**Alright then, hope that you guys are looking forward to reading what's to come. The events tide to the last bit won't be revealed until much later on in the story. Next chapter will be kind of a filler, but will have an impact on the future. Until next time.**


	11. Chapter 11

**AN; just a heads up, I have never made an OC. So if you think that it seems ****_bad_****, then feel free to criticize. This will for one to two chapters... Maybe three. I won't worry too much about background since I plan to bring them back later on.**

**Disclaimer; I don't own Bleach or SAO**

* * *

After the first floor had been cleared, progress had started moving at a steady pace. More players had begun joining the front lines. Large guilds, like the «Holy Dragon Alliance» an «Aincrad Liberation Army», quickly took leadership of the charge. By now they had reached the 24th floor in under six months.

Much of this progress was thanks to the many new special weapons and armor retrieved from the new quests. Many held some sort of unique added effect, like forming thin layers of ice on an enemy or setting them on fire for short periods of time. However, using such abilities did not come without a price. Whenever they were used the user would have their HP slowly depleted over time. Not to mention that it was only available once every fifteen minutes and reduce the item's durability with each use. Thus many only used it rarely and as a last resort. But not all were as cautious.

Many now made it their life's work to track down and gain any and all of these new commodities. With powerful weapons in high demand by those fighting on the front lines, one could make a small fortune just selling a handful of them. This in turn lad to more problems. More and more had begun to fight over these weapons. Many had started to work as solo thieves and gatherers, but most referred to them for what they truly had become. Mercenaries, pay them enough and you could hire them to target a player of interest. Most if not all did so out of sight and would avoid foors their targets frequented in order to avoid any accusations. But not all were as ruthless as the majority.

Mugetsu had become one of the most famous and requested of the bunch. With an uncanny luck, or misfortune from his part, he would frequently find himself against creatures that would often leave him wishing that he had stayed in town. Currently he was dealing with the latest trouble he had run into.

_'I swear, I'll never take on another job like this again!'_ Running through the thick jungle on floor 24, Mugetsu was being chased by a giant black tiger with blue stripes that crackled with electricity._ 'If I find out that those bastards knew about the lighting, I will beat them to within an inch of their HP.' _Taking cover behind a stone ruin, he avoided the electrical attacks being sent his way. _'Just what the hell did I do to get that cat so angry?' _The answer to that was quite simple, and could be traced back to how he came across his target in the first place.

* * *

The previous night a small guild of mid-level players had ask him for help dealing with the tiger they had encountered in the jungle. In exchange they offered him 10,000 col and one item that the boss might drop, other than the rarest one. It seemed pretty straight forward, he had dealt with other strong side-bosses by himself before. So the next morning he set out to look for the beast with the information they provided on its location. Navigating through the foliage proved to be slightly difficult, and the virtual mosquitoes plaguing him did not make it any better. When he arrived at the area where the tiger was seen there was not a single sign of such a creature, that is until he stepped on said creature's tail.

The tiger was easily three times size any normal tiger should be. The eyes were a deep shade of blue and had black scleras. Its arms were built with large muscle and could snap a spear shaft with ease, and the claws looked like they could pierce through solid steel. But what truly instilled fear into the heart of its prey was the deafening roar from a mouth full of dagger like teeth. This was a beast meant for battle.

"This is going to take up my entire morning, isn't it?" Quickly, Mugetsu drew his sword as he barely avoided the swipe from the tiger's paw. Not wasting any time, he slashed the giant underbelly of his prey. What followed was a savage fight between the two. By the end one would come out the top hunter, and the other the unfortunate prey.

All was going smoothly for the majority of the fight. The tiger seemed to be struggling trying to land a hit on his much smaller opponent, who in turn would deliver blow after blow to its sides and legs. Regardless, the creature showed no signs of slowing down. The fight finally took a turn when it was down to the final portion of his third and last HP bar. Any and all tactics that had been working up to this point became obsolete the moment it let loose a wave of blue electricity. Lightning rapped around its entire body and would be shot at him every ten seconds, forcing Mugetsu to make a tactical retreat.

* * *

'I hate my luck.' He had been running to avoid the bast for the last half hour, though not without benefit. He had figured out that if he struck while the lighting still enclosed the tiger, he would be launched back and take damage, also that said field diapered for five seconds after each blast. "Great, I discover his weakness and am unable to make use of it!"

As he continued to think of a way to strike, a sudden shout snapped him out of thought.

"Get Down!" With no time to question or look at whoever just arrived,he did as told. He watched as a throwing pick struck the tiger's nose. Thrashing about it tried to remove the pick which had entered his back towards the one who had unexpectedly attacked him, he found a boy no older than his current target.

"What are you waiting for? Get up and follow, I know where we can help you kill that thing!" Not wanting to wait for his enemy to recover, Mugetsu did as told and followed the one who had helped him. After a short run they found themselves in what looked like the ruins of an ancient stone village with intricate carvings, wrapped in vines, and with a giant stone structure in the middle. Form some reason it seemed to be the only structure without any vines covering it. "Stop, this is the place!"

"Alright then, start explaining. Who are you and why are you helping me?"

With a smirk, the crimson teen turned to him. "Now is that anyway to thank the one who saved you? Now to answer your question, the name's Kaine. As for the others I mentioned, I was referring to my brother."

Near by, the black tiger let out another roar before crouching on his left side. It quickly retaliated by shooting an arc of lightning in Mugetsu and Kaine's general direction, forcing the two to lay on their stomach.

"And if I'm not mistaken, _that_ was probably his doing." As if on cue, another player wearing similar gear appeared. His hair, however, was black and seemed to have dark blue hair down one side of his face. "Hey Hoven, nice timing. I was just telling our friend here-"

"What the hell do you think you're doing," interrupted Hoven. "Get up and help me finish of this overgrown cat! Or are you planning to leave everything to me like with the «Undead Hunter» two floors back?"

* * *

**Sorry if I took too long, I just couldn't find the right set of names. So in the end I just went with these. Anyway, review and tell me what you think.**


	12. Chapter 12

**AN; If the fight goes well, then I should also be able to include the deal with Ichigo's contractors in this same chapter. This way I should be able to finish writing about Kaine and Hoven in two more chapters. Afterward there will be a change in scenery from this jungle themed** **floor**** to the 25th floor.**

**Disclaimer; I don't own Bleach or SAO**

* * *

"You just won't let that go, will you?"

"Not until you give me the dagger. Until then I will keep reminding you of that." Hoven just starred at Kaine with a stern look. The later simply answered with a mocking grin.

"And I said that if you want it you'll have to pay me."

"Hey," shouted Mugetsu, "did you two just come here to argue with each other, or do you actually plan on helping me!?"

"He's right," said Kaine. "We can settle this little issue later. For now lets focus on rescuing this poor damsel in distress." Just as he finished saying that, Mugetsu's fist landed a solid blow to his face. No sooner did a bolt of lightning strike right were Kaine's head had been a second ago.

"If you don't shut up soon, you're going to have bigger problems than that tiger."

"Save your breath, this guy never learns to do as you just said," explained Hoven with an exasperated sigh.

"Great, now I have to deal with another sarcastic idiot." Ducking under another burst of electricity, the three made their way behind another stone wall. "So what do you have in mind? From what I've seen, that thing has to recharge after each blast. Surrounding it won't be much help thanks to the large outbursts it can use."

"Well," said Kaine, "this is actually the second time we face an enemy like this." Mugetsu just looked at them with a questioning expression. "The difference is, last time it was a fire breathing dragon. Not to mention it was around a rocky riverbank. Though our plan should workout fine, if you listen closely."

"No offense but, how do I know you won't stab me in the back?"

"You don't," responded Hoven. "But at this point, you have no other choice." Looking at each other in the eye, the two came to some sort of mutual understanding.

"Fine, what's this plan then?"

"Oh, it's quite simple," said Kaine with a grin. "All you have to do is..."

* * *

"I can't believe I agreed to this."

"If it makes you feel better, last time he was forced to do it on his own."

"Y'know, it kind of does. Thanks, Hoven." Both were standing at opposite ends of the wall. The plan was as follows, the two of them would charge at the tiger from both sides and wait for it to fire and avoid its shot. Afterwards they would strike and lure it to the cliff side. While they were doing this, Kaine would make his way to the top and wait to drop one of the boulders on it.

"On three, ready?" Mugetsu nodded his head in confirmation. "One... Two..." Another blast hit the wall they were behind, forcing them to cover their eyes from the dust. "Go!" Without wasting a second both ran towards their target, switching sides whenever the tiger shot a bolt of lightning. With a quick and solid swing, the duo made similar cuts down its sides. It let out a roar before pouncing on Hoven, who had been thrown off balance by the tiger's rear. Another wave of pain suddenly came as Mugetsu's zanpakutō stabbing his right shoulder, causing him to release Hoven.

"Thanks for that."

"Don't worry about it, I promised myself that I would never allow anyone else die before me as long as I was around."

"Well then, I hope you don't die while we're working together, wouldn't want this to be any harder than it already is." Both took a defensive stance, waiting as they stared their opponent dead in the eyes. Neither showing any intention of backing down.

"Hey!" All three sets of eyes turned to look at Kaine standing near the trap's meant location. "Aren't you two _forgetting_ something," he said, signaling to a dead end path with multiple rocks waiting to fall on any unsuspecting target. Unfortunately, the only way leading there was being blocked by a three meter tall jungle cat.

"Change of plans," yelled Hoven. "We'll be talking him on the old fashioned way." For what seemed like hours, which were actually seconds, both sides waited. In a battle of wills, were if a single opening showed could lead to death, not a single one of them flinched. In this moment frozen in time, Mugetsu and Hoven saw something that all of them had ignored this entire time, their foe's name.

"So you're «The Guardian of Blue Thunder»." It's eyes widened momentarily, to fast for the others to notice. In response it crouched, letting out a growl and nodding its head towards the two. Not sure what to do, both simply decided to state their names. "Mugetsu."

"Hoven. I must say, I never expected to be talking and giving my name to someone trying to kill me. Especially not in the middle of a fight with them."

"Yeah, well get used to it." Curious, he glanced at his current companion. "I'll... tell you later. For now, we have more important things to worry about." Refocusing on the thunder guardian, they watched as it stood straight on all four legs and closed its eyes. When they reopened, blue sparks flew out from them, the claws on its front paws doubled in size size with lightning surrounding them. To make matters worse, the blue stripes covering him began to glow, energy traveled from them to its tail before solidifying at the end in the shape of a pale, blue, broadsword. 'That's it, after I'm done here, this is the last time I work as a mercenary.'

"H-hey," whispered Hoven,"what are the chances it can us that sword as well as us?" As if to answer, the guardian let out what seemed to be a smirk.

"That answer your question?" With that both charged at each other one last time. In the end, one side would be standing triumphant, the other, dead at their feet.

The first hit was landed by the Guardian, a shallow but long slash across Hoven's chest. Numbness soon started spreading across his body as he watched blood come from the wound. He began to have difficulty moving his arms. "Careful, his attacks seem to be faster than before! I can still keep up, but if this drags on an can stack up, then we might have a problem."

"Well in that case, lets wrap this up!" Thinking of a way to immobilize or restrict the guardian's movements Mugetsu recalled his first experience with a boss battle. Specifically, how Asuna had managed to pin Ilfang's tail, allowing him and Kirito to finish the job. _'That's it!'_ "Hoven, when I give the signal hit him with everything you got, and I mean everything! If this is going to work we will have to finish this in one final assault."

"Are you crazy! If this doesn't work both of us will end up dead!"

"Then don't mess it up, I still plan to see my family on the other side." This caused Hoven's eyes to widen. Mugetsu had no intention of dying in this mad world, there were people expecting him back in the real world. "So don't even think of saying that this won't work, it has to! Don't you have someone worth fighting back home, too?"

_'Mom... I had almost forgotten.'_ Shaking any doubt he might have had, he raises his sword in a fighting stance. "You're right, there's still someone waiting for me."

"Good to hear," said Mugetsu with a smirk. "Then let's get this over with!" He charged straight at the great beast as it swiped at him. Without hesitating, he jumped and used its leg as a springboard, deflected the tail blade in midair and impaled his zanpakutō through his tail and into the ground. "Now!"

_'You were right, I can't die. Not here, not yet.' _He hacked and slashed at his foe with unrelenting furry, who in turn did the same. Though his was much slower than a moment ago. '_As long as I still draw breath...' _With one final thrust, Hoven plunged his sword into its mouth, with it exiting through the top of the great tiger's head. _'I will not give up!' _Unfortunately their victory was short lived, as the head slammed shut, crushing his arm.

* * *

**I hope all of you enjoyed the fight's conclusion. I decided to add it afterwards since, I agree, this chapter was shorter than the previous ones.**


	13. Chapter 13

**AN; Conclusion of the fight and its aftermath, enjoy.**

**Disclaimer; I don't own Bleach or SAO**

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_**"Hoven!" **_both Mugetsu and Kaine shouted at the top of their lungs as they rushed to help. "Stay still while we get you out from under there."

"No,'' he stopped them with his free arm. "Get my other arm out first, I can't seem to feel it."

"..." Both Mugetsu and Kaine nodded and did as they were told. "On three. Hoven, when we open its mouth you pull your arm out." With everyone clear on the plan they proceeded with the countdown. "One... two... _**THREE!" **_As Hoven pulled out his arm he felt it get surprisingly lighter. Probably his his sword slipping out of his weakened grasp.

"Oh... man I think I'm gonna be sick." Hoven turned to Kaine, who's face seemed to lose all color.

"This will likely take more than a simple potion to fix."

"What are you two talking about? Is the bite wound that bad?"

"Trust us, you don't what to know," both said with a tone of seriousness.

"Oh, come on. I'm sure it's only a few cuts and gashes. The both of you are just trying to freak me out."

"Aw, how you hurt me, dear friend. And after I was trying to spare you the horror," Kaine said in a voice of fake hurt. Soon however, the was a grin forming on the edge of his mouth. "But if you don't believe the word from our kind friend and I, then why don't you take a look for yourself?"

"Fine," responded Hoven with narrowed eyes. "I still don't think it can be that ba-" He paused as he looked at his arm, or at least what was left of it. What remained was little more than a red mass of bloodied flesh. An urge to puke suddenly overcame him. The two on ether side of him took a step back as the contents of his stomach spilled over his cloths. "... Get this _thing's_ head off of me, _now_." With no further delay the two standing did as they were told. "Thanks. Now, do any of you of anyone or anything that can help me? I don't want to become permanently left handed if at all possible."

"Well, there is something that might work. But I don't know if it'll work on something like this" came the response from the orange haired swordsman. "Let's just hope that your arm doesn't fall off by the time we get there." He proceeded to taking out a bandage roll out of his inventory. "Hey Kaine, make yourself useful and find some water before I wrap his arm, wouldn't want an infection now would we?"

"Sure thing." He reached into his satchel and took out a small bottle. "Its not much but I can go get more."

"Wait," said Hoven. "I think there should be some in my satchel."

"Great, now I wont have to go running around this place."

Taking both bottles, Mugetsu proceeded to washing off the dirt from Hoven's arm. "Shame we don't have any disinfectant. Maybe we can..."

"H-hey , hold on a second. Just what's in that vile you just took out?"

"This," he asked as he shook a small flask with a pink liquid. "This is just an anti-poison I picked up. The description says that it can eliminate any toxins when consumed or applied to an open wound. It probably works just the same."_'Wait,' _he thought, _'__if that's the case then it might be best to...'_ "Hey, Kaine! I need to have a quick word with you." He motioned Kaine a few feet away from Hoven, who was lying on a wall that was toppled over during the fight. They whispered something between themselves as they glanced back at the patient.

"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?"

"Alright, did you everything I just told you?"

"Clear as day," responded Kaine with an grin.

"What were you to talking about?"

"Just on how to go about how to go about helping you," said Mugetsu, waving him off. "Now do me a favor and clench your teeth."

"Fine, but I don't see how this is going to hel-" "NOW!"

Before Hoven could react, Kaine held down his free limbs, while Mugetsu quickly wrapped the bandage. The task was actually quite difficult, but that's to be expected when applying a large amount of disinfectant on a mangled arm.

"OW! Let me go, or I swear to beat the ever living hell out of both of you the first chance I get!"

"Shut up! I'm almost done." Mugetsu tightened a knot at the back of Hoven's hand and nodded in self approval. Quickly, he jumped a small distance away, and as soon as he did, Hoven punched Kaine on the side of his head. He then pushed Kaine of and delivered a second punch strait to his chest. Before he could continue, Mugetsu twisted his arm behind his back.

"Are you done with your tantrum? Remember that those wrappings are only temporary."

"Fine," he responded as he rubbed his sore arm."A warning would have been nice."

"Yeah... sorry about that. Old habit from helping my father back at his clinic."

"You would tackle and hold down injured patients? What kind of clinic did your family run back in the real world?"

"A crazy one," he responded while rubbing his eyes at the memory of his father. "Still, you can't imagine the amount of times that it was actually necessary. But I wont deny the fact that my dad was a certified nut-job. Well, if there aren't any more questions, let's go grab that medici-" Before he could finish a window appeared before him and the others.

**_『 You have now unlocked all requirements for the quest, _«Legacy of the Twin Guardians»_. You may now choose to complete or ignore it. Warning; if not completed, others may stumble upon and change it without the need to slay the two guardians. Your presence will not be required .』_**

_'«Legacy of the Twin Guardians»? Now that's new, a Boss Fight that actually unlocks a quest. I wonder if Argo knows anything about this?' _Before he could ponder more on the subject, his attention was brought back to the two before him.

"Hey, you still there," asked Hoven. "I'd rather get my arm fixed sooner rather than later."

"Sorry, I was looking at this quest notification that popped up. Maybe you heard of it."

"You mean the one about the guardians," said Kaine.

"That's the one. Did it appear after killing the dragon you two found?"

"Yeah, same as the tiger that mangled my arm. We decided to take on the quest, but the only thing we have is part of an old map. We thought that this boss would have the other half. So, do you have it?"

"Don't know, give me a sec." Scrolling through the drops he received were two items that caught his attention, one being the map and the other a claw weapon. _'Hmm, I bet I can get some good worth out of this. At least the map peace is there.' _Doubt started to form in his mind. Rather, one that he already had was beginning to become clear. _'If what I think is true, then this could get messy. Better tell Kaine and Hoven.'_

"So, did you find it? If you did we are willing to buy it of you, for a reasonable price." Kaine had a grin across his face, while Hoven just had an impassive look. All he cared about at the moment was getting his arm fixed.

"I have it, alright. Unfortunately for you two, it's not for sale."

"Oh, come on," whined the redhead. "It's not this is the first time you've sold some rare item. Heck we know about the time a guild paid you to let them go on one of your little _exclusive_ quest."

"Okay first off, they were upfront with their request. Secondly, this is still part of my current contract Or have you forgotten the reason I came looking for that overgrown cat!?" At his response the two let out a disappointed sigh. "Besides, there's something I want to verify concerning this whole map thing. You might actually be interested in this. It involves both you and the fist of the reasons I wont sell you the map."

"... We're listening."

"First I need to know if either of you told anyone else about it."

"Well... we did ask for any leads on an enemy with similar attacks to the dragon we fought."

"Who was it?"

"Can't remember, we asked quite a few. None had any information, and if they did they wouldn't say."

"Wait, so then how did you find him if no one told you?"

"Well," said Hoven, "two days ago we overheard a small guild talking about how they failed to kill some giant tiger. We didn't think much of it at first but one them kept complaining about an _"annoying lightning blast." _We figured it was what we were after."

"Hmm, by any chance was one of them wearing a spike vambrace that looked to be made out of bone?"

It took only a short time for Hoven and Kaine to realize what he was insinuating.

"You were setup..."

"That's right," confirmed Mugetsu. "No matter how I see it, they knew of the attack pattern and that there was some sort of rare drop, besides the weapons. I bet they expected me to die and weaken it enough for them."

"Wait, if that's the case, then wouldn't they need to be close by for their plan to work?"

"Precisely," he said. "But thanks to you two, their plan only half work. Right now they should be closing in to claim their _reward._ I would like to like to confront them, but as things stand at the moment we would have problems if things turn south."

"So what then," asked Hoven. "We hide and hope they don't find us? If they truly planned to ambush you from the beginning, I highly doubt they will give up so easily."

"i hate to say this this, but we need to run for now." The thought of having to run from a fight really upset him, especially considering he had been double-crossed. But he would not put the life of the two would saved him over a pointless fight. If they truly wanted the map that badly, then they will eventually come after him. When that happens, they will be in for one hell of a fight.

"Hey, not saying we shouldn't run but.." Both Mugetsu and Hoven turned to Kaine, who seemed to be hesitating with his words. "How the hell are we suppose to get out of here if they are surrounding us?"

"The hell kind of question is that? Just take out a teleport crystal and meet up in town."

Both just looked at him like he was insane.

_"Are you crazy?!_ Do you have any idea how rare and expensive those damn things are? Only those in the front line are able to afford them for frequent use. Even then they are only used in emergencies!"

"Seriously, they are not that hard to get if you know where to look. I make a good deal of «Cor» from the jobs I take, so money is never really an issue for me. Now we can start discussing my source of income, or we can leave and not wait for someone to try and kill us."

So without further interruptions Kaine and Hoven took a crystal each. In a quick display of blue light they vanish. The only evidence left was the carcass of their fallen prey.

* * *

_**AN; Does it really matter if I apologize for updating after so long? It will change nothing. Some will see it as empty, which in all honesty, it most likely is. If I explained my reasons, then that is little more than an excuse. Honestly, I really need to get my act together. There is still so much I look forward to typing.**_


	14. Chapter 14

**An; I have spent some time considering how I want this story to go. Various ideas and events have been altered, moved to a different time, or simply discarded. For now read this chapter. I will explain more at the end.**

* * *

Once back in the town of Kraveck, the three decided to head to the nearest restaurant and elaborate on a course of action. As it was already late afternoon they ordered someyhing to eat. While Mugetsu and Kaine finish their meals quickly, Hoven strugled to feed himself with only his left hand. Even though it had already been more than a few hour since it had been treated, there was no sign of the wound closing up. Just as the spoon reached his lips, a loud celebrating guild's cheers caused him to drop his spoon.

"If I see another tiger in my life, it will be too soon."

"Quit your whining," said Mugetsu. "I told you, we just need to go down to the first floor, get a Nepent's flower, and give it to the lady that assigned the «Secret Medicine of the Forest» quest. I heard that some people that went after a certain point no longer received the quest. Thanks to that, I don't think that many know about the medicine. Trust me, that stuff has saved me more times than I would like."

"Ok, I get that it's an amazing potion. What I don't understand is how we haven't heard about it before. Also, if it truly has saved your life so many times, how come you don't have any right now?"

"Simple, I use the last of it after that damn thing started spitting lighting at me. You know, moment before you arrived." Both look at him with narrowed eyes, as if he had just crossed some line. "Don't get me wrong, I am thankful you got to me before I became a smoking stain on the ground." He took a quick drink form his cup before continuing. "In any case, we should probably have that quest on hold until tomorrow. With my previous _employers _waiting out in the jungle, Hoven's mangled arm and who knows what waiting at the end of this map, I'd say we split up for a while."

"How do we know you won't run away with your part of the map?"

"Don't forget, you have the other half. Look, I'm not one to go back on my promises. This is simply a ploy to distract them." Both looked at Mugetsu, waiting for him to elaborate. "As far as we know, those guys have no idea what or where the map leads to. Now, I plan to meet an info broker and tell them it led us to one of the lower floor, which is were you come in. While I tell them this, try to attract some attention while going for the medicine."

"... It sounds like you plan to use us as bait."

"I'm not... At least not in a way with your lives directly in danger, that's not how I operate. We will meet up afterwards in the town south of here." With that, he tossed each a teleport crystal. "Wait until late at night and go to the «Redwood Inn». Any other questions, comments or concerns?"

"Who do you plan to ask to deliver your _message_?" Mugetsu turned to look at a hooded figure outside the window talking to another player.

"The _rat _that got me into this whole mess."

* * *

**_[1 Hour Later, City of Zarantho]_**

With the risk of his pursuers looking for him at Kraveck, Mugetsu decided to meet with his colleague at the most crowded place in the 24th floor. Currently, the two were sitting in a booth to the back of a back alley pub. While one was enjoying a serving of what appeared to be some sort of lizard based dish, the other simply drank a glass of water. All around, one could hear laughter and arguments.

"So tell me," said the small, hooded individual, "how did your little jungle hunt go?"

"Like you even need to ask, _Argo._" At this, the info broker merely smiled in amusement. "Now can't say with certainty that you did not know anything about them planning to turn on me, but at least I know you are on my side."

"So what will you do now? Are you planning to lay low until they give up and forget about you, or is there something you need my help with?" A faint glint could be seen in her eyes as the words left her mouth. "I know you are not the type to simply take a betrayal without some sort of retaliation."

"Right as always. Guess your title isn't just for show." As he spoke, Mugetsu placed a dark blue gauntlet on the table, out of sight to others thanks to his back obstructing their view. The gauntlet itself did not seem to be all that special, just a simple piece of armor. However, some of its more notable feature included a thin white fur lining around its end. Blue images of lightning traveled from the end to the tips of each finger. On every knuckle, and in the palm's center, there was a pitch black diamond cut gem. "Consider this payment for my past depts."

"_Oooh, _so am I to assume that if I sell this, the money I make will enough to pay your debt?"

"No, it's for personal use." Argo gave him a questioning look at those words. Surely by now he knew that her main weapon of choice were claws. This would only get in her way. "It's name description is «Raging Thunder Guard», it appears to be listed as a left-handed claw. Try it on, if you want to confirm."

Curiously, Argo examined the metal glove, tracing her fingers over the gems and blue lines. Once on, said lines and stones began glowing a deep faint blue. One by one, her fingers were coursing with electricity, which then became sharp think lighting claws.

"So what do you think, is this enough to cover what I owe?"

"More than enough," she responded with a smirk. "So, you said that you needed me to lead the ones after you to floor one, right?"

"Yeah, since you are their only way of tracking us down, they will come asking you. Try to see if you can make them believe that our little treasure hunt lead us there."

"Alright, you have deal!" With a satisfied look on his face, Mugetsu got up and left for the door. "Oh, just so you know, your payment doesn't cover this!" That quick shout caused him to turn around.

"_WHAT?!"_

"Hey, new job, new pay."

"... Fine. Should have remembered who I was dealing with. I'll pay you after my end of this mess is dealt with."

_'We'll see about that.'_

* * *

**AN (Continuation); Somewhere in my mind, there is still a part of me that would like to know what your opinions on them could have been. To do so I will be placing some of those ideas at the bottom of the chapters. If you feel like it, look through them and tell me what you think. If there is something you think you can use in a story, feel free to do so. This will start next chapter, I merely wanted to inform you now.**

**Also, about why I did not have Ichigo dragged into this by Ishin or Urahara. Those two both agreed that Ichigo needed a break. The operation to restore his power was, in my opinion, for when Ichigo was needed to intervene in the supernatural****. Until then, his help wasn't really necessary, nor did he feel too concerned. The one who dragged him into this did so by directly altering his state of mind. Well, he more or less chose the proper timeline to set everything into motion.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Out of curiosity, what do you think of the two OCs? I know there isn't much to go on, so if any of you could offer your thoughts, please tell me.**

* * *

The next morning, Mugetsu decided to confirm something that has been on his mind ever since finding out about the map. _'Those two were really set on getting their hands my half of the map. If they have the other, and it marks where whatever is at the end, then I don't see why they would need my half.' _Thinking about it for about a couple of minutes he came to two possible solutions. The first is that they had lied to him and his contractors were innocent, but after seeing them close in on him as soon as the job was done quickly ruled out the possibility of them not being involved in using him. The second conclusion was that _he_ had the piece where X marks the spot. _'Well, only one way to find out if I'm right. Still, can't believe that I waited until now to do this.'_

While accessing his inventory, a thought came to mind. What was at the end? Could it be a room filled to the brim with money, items, weapons of unparalleled strength, or just another fight to the death? _'With my luck, I wouldn't be surprised.' _The map, if it actually could be considered a map, was a semi-sphere made of polished bronze with a small crystal imbedded with its core. _'So neither one of us has the slightest clue... Great.' _

With some of his questions answered, he looked at the clock to see how much longer before his meeting. _'Hmm, they should be arriving soon. Maybe I should order some breakfast before they get here.' _He signaled over a waitress to take his order.

"Hello, sir. How may I be of service?" She wore a simple green dress with a white apron on top. Her ash-brown hair tied up in a bun.

"I would like an order of today's special and some cider to go with it." Hee subconsciously gave a polite smile to the attendant, who quickly felt her face heat up. In no time, she wrote down the order and turned to leave.

"Right away, kind sir." Not long after was the food delivered to his table. The meal consisted meat stew with vegetables and a side plate of mashed potatoes. They also brought a plate with neatly chopped and arranged fruit.

_'Strange, I don't remember asking for fruit.'_

**'Ever the ladies man,' **echoed a voice, **_'_****aren't you king?'**

'Huh?!' "Who's there?" He did a quick scan of the establishment but found none paying him any mind. _'Weird, could have sworn I heard that voice somewhere before.'_

"Hey," a voice cried out, snapping him from his thoughts. Turning to see the source, Mugetsu saw Hoven and Kaine approach his table. "Oh, what's this? While we were risking our lives, you sit back and enjoy a nice warm breakfast. Hmm, I fail to see how this is fair."

"Cut it out, Kaine. If you're that hungry just order something." Slowly taking a seat, Hoven looked to Mugetsu with a smile slowly forming. "After all, I'm sure Mugetsu is more than willing to treat us for our success, right?"

"I would be delighted,_ Hoven..._" Satisfied with his answer, the two proceeded to order the same a him. "So," said Mugetsu, "judging by your arm and what you just said, I take it everything went well?"

"Yeah, your friend was kind enough to make the potion for free, once we told her you sent us. As for the distraction, I wouldn't now. Hopefully killing a few field bosses will do the trick."

"Let's hope so, I already promised to pay Argo with a part of my share." Scratching his hair, he could not help but think, just how much would Argo charge him? _'I know handing out out accurate information is vital for her jod as an info broker. If they find out that she purposely lied to them, she will have a tough time getting others to trust her.'_

"Now who said anything about you paying me in cash," came a voice from the side.

"A-Argo, what the hell are you doing here!?" Sure enough, the «Rat» of Aincrad was sitting there, grinning childishly with a drink in hand.

"Receiving my compensation," she responded with confidence. "I'm going with you guys."

"Now hold on a moment! Just when did I agree to take you along?"

"The moment you hired me to give out false information. My business is built on delivering accurate information. If word gets out that my information is inaccurate I would start to suffer heavy losses, and I'm sure neither of us wants that, right~?"

"You cheeky little rat. Is this why you said that my last payment wouldn't cover this job?"

"Possibly..." The smile on her face purposely gave away her true thoughts. "I might just be tagging along to verify that the information I gave those poor fools is accurate. You know how I feel about disappointing my customers."

*Sigh* "Alright, you win. If you want you can follow, but they," he signaled at Hoven and Kaine, "have the map's other half. How do plan on getting them to go along with this?"

The two, who up to this point had silently watched things unfold while enjoying their meal, gave each other a look. Hoven seemed uncertain, while Kaine was simply amused at how easily Argo had convinced Mugetsu. Knowing how annoying Kaine could get at times, Hoven rolled his eyes in aspersion and nodded his head in approval. Maybe this will get him off his back for a while.

"We have no problem with this," said Kaine in a jovial tone. "Besides, if we encounter anything like the guardians, it would be better to have another person to help out!"

_'I hope not,'_ thought Mugetsu and Hoven. _'Once/twice was enough.'_

"Well Argo, seems like I'll have to deal with you for the duration of this mess." Looking at the mocking smile she was giving him, he sighed as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. "So, how about we finish our food before we set out?"

* * *

**_[1 Hour later]_**

"... You three had enough yet?" His question fell upon deaf ears, hidden behind piles of empty plates. "I'm starting to run out of patience _and _money, so could we please get a move on." A surprisingly large burp echoed from the shortest member of the group.

"Oh, come on," said Argo. "You're the defacto leader, so it's your job to pay for our food and travel expenses!" Mugetsu's eye twitched upon hearing this.

"THE HELL I AM!" Slamming his hands on the table, the remainder of his drink fell to the floor. "Since when did I agree to be in charge of you three!?"

"From the moment you started to boss us around and decided to sit around and do nothing." His glare was redirected at Kaine.

"That's because there was nothing for me to do! Besides, how would trying to get us all out of this alive count as me ordering you around?"

"Let me see," mumbled Hoven, wiping away the last of his food from his mouth. "You sent Kaine and I to act as bait, _with _my arm badly hurt."

"I sent you to a place where you could get proper care for it."

"Sent Argo here," signaling to the smiling rat, "to deliver false information, capable of endangering both her source of income and her life."

"Hey, she could have said no! Going along with us on this quest and asking for a cut was all her decision."

"And finally, you hold a unique item, unwilling to hand over or trade for, unless it's by force. This all leaves us with no other option, but to listen to whatever you have to say."

"Then tell me, what's to stop you from taking this half of the map from me the moment I step out of town?" A moment of heavy silence came over. With no more orders coming from their table, one of the waitresses nervously came over to pick up the plates. "Back in the jungle, both of us were pretty banged up, but Kaine was more or less in perfect condition. You could have forced me to give up the part in my, so why?" Kaine leaned back on his chair and place on foot on the table side.

"That's because, just like you, we don't just go around threatening others to get what we want. Probably couldn't have done so, even if we wanted to." Curious about what he meant, Mugetsu raised an eyebrow. "Think about, someone capable of fighting toe to toe with a monster capable of pushing back an entire party of high level players. With whatever healing items you might have had, does it really look like we could force you to do anything?"

"Didn't the two of you also fight against and defeat something similar?"

"Well... Yeah but, we spent most of the fight running and hitting him from behind. If only one of us was there, we would not even be here." Looking at his face, Mugetsu could see no trace suggesting Kaine was lying.

"*sigh* So that's it, you have no choice but to follow me? Honestly, I'm kinda depressed you see me as some kind of tyrannical monster." With scrutinizing look, all three people beside him gazed at him.

"You are aware of the rumors about you, right?" Argo knew that he was, she constantly reminded him of it whenever a chance presented itself. Mugetsu, knowing this as well, slammed his head down on the table, waiting for the inevitable. Taking this as a sign of resignation, Argo raised her arms and started happily reciting the dreaded rumors. "Clad in black and white, orange hair as bright as the sun, and a razor sharp katana in hand, the «Demonic Swordbeast». Tireless and vicious, he carves up all who stand before him, ignoring any injury suffered. Whenever he fights, a sea of blood forms at his feet. His greed is match only by that of-"

"STOP! Just... stop, _okay!?_" Satisfied with the result of her words, Argo lowered her hands, a smile clear as day upon her face. Lifting his head and rubbing the bridge of his nose, he let out a sigh. "I swear, I am going to beat the hell out of whoever started that."

"They're not wrong..."

"That was _one _time! And just so you know, those injuries hurt like hell! I did not have much of a choice when we fought «Ilfang», yet you keep bringing it up just to piss me off."

"Hey, that's because it's the reason why so many people come to you for jobs. The fact you went toe to toe with the first floor boss and did not end up the same as Diable, that left quite the impact!"

"I still needed help near the end."

"Because you chose to take a hit and protect others." With no words to talk back, Mugetsu looked away. "You know, I talked to quite a few people who were there. Most, including your friend Kirito, believe that you could have won without a problem if they had not stayed standing out in the open." That got his attention. He turned back to Argo, eyes slightly widened. "What, think I wouldn't notice you and Ki-bou are closer than you appear to be in public. Honestly, I'm surprised that others haven't noticed that the two of you have each other's back and tend to agree on how to fight the floor bosses!"

"... You guys aren't planning on telling others anything you just heard, right?" he asked the two.

"Hm? Tell who what, exactly? That you and the «Black Swordsman» are working together?" The smile on Kaine's face could not be any more condescending. "Well... Seeing as all of us are already this involved, let's just finish this and then decided everything else afterwards."

"Fine... Still, I can't shake off this feeling."

* * *

**AN; That's it, nothing more for this chapter but, because of the long wait, I have decided to upload another three chapters. I honestly had no idea how to write this scene for months. Before anyone asks, no, Argo will not be paired with anyone. She will have a later appearance after this. Now, if any of you are still interested in my scrapped ideas, here they are.**

**1) Mesoamerican pyramid and cat and mouse game with mephitic serpent (look it up if unfamiliar.)**

**2) Lives with a family of NPCs.**

**3) Trains with new world shinigamis. They are dealing with the same problems in different ways, if the materialize zanpakutō is anything to go by.**

**4) Probably the one that was the biggest flop, mainly due to continuity, adding many of the later characters from both series. I didn't do it because I lack the ability to do so but, if someone can find a way to make it work... I'd like to see that.**


	16. Chapter 16

**AN; ... Nope, got nothing to say. Enjoy.**

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**«Floor 7-Dark Elf Capital, 『Forget Sanctuary』» **

"Hey Mu, you sure that we are going in the right direction?"

"For the hundredth time, yes! I even showed you the map to make sure."

For the past six hours, the company of four had been wandering around floors 24 and 7. They had been following the path revealed to them by the «Mirage Sphere» in their possession. Rather than a simple and direct route to the goal, it had them wander through the jungle and near the 24th floor's edge. There it opened a portal that led to a sealed off dungeon back on floor 7.

Look around, one could see an assortment of multicolored fluorescent crystals. The sound of running water echoed through the tunnels, and it seemed that they were headed to its location. Every so often they would encounter an open chamber with enemies. They consisted of tigers and dragons, smaller in size but larger in numbers than the original two. While slightly dangerous we they attacked in what appeared to be large and coordinated numbers, the four pressed on with no other dangers.

"Hey," called Hoven. "It's been on my mind for a while now but, do any of you notice that the walls start to glow whenever we kill something?"

"I thought that was ment to happen."

"Argo, if you know something it's best you tell us. Working together should be reason enough to tell."

"It's nothing to serious," she said, waving her hand dismissively in front of her face. "The was a small guild that ran into something similar a few weeks back. They reached the end of the dungeon only to find a large door blocking their path. There was no sign of a button or key to open it, so they decided to leave until they found a way to open it. On the way out something similar to what is happening here took place. It seemed that every enemy defeated slowly unlocked the door."

" So what was behind it?"

She slowly turned her head around and smiled at Kaine.

"They found a side boss that was guarding a chest full of rare and powerful items."

"Sadly, that was right after they terminated my contract."

"You were there, Mugetsu?" asked Hoven.

"Remember you talked about a group of people paying me to join me on a quest? That was it. Once it was clear that we were near the end, they decided to take it from me. I couldn't fight back because my hands were tied. If I attacked them directly, my cruiser would turn yellow. If I tried to run past them, they would set every monster in the vicinity on me. While I was busy, they would go straight for the end. Which what Argo just said it sounds like I would be doing all the work for them."

"So what made you let us follow?"

"Don't know," he said while scratching the back of his head. "Figured I owed you for warning me about my previous employers. That and I wanted to see this through, last player contract and all."

"By the way," said Argo, "you ow me for telling you what they found inside the dungeon."

"Wha, I thought you wouldn't charge us!"

"I never said that," she said, smiling. "Giving you information that can help us is one thing but, you asked me about what they got out of it. I told you that it was a bunch of rare items, something that won't help us right now. Now if you want to know the specific details on what each item was, then that's another thing I'm going to charge you for."

"What the heck kind of scam are you trying to pull!?"

"No scam, just business. Everyone has their own way of making a life in this game. While some trade in weapons and armor, I'm in the business of gathering and selling information at _fair _prices."

"I can see why some call you a «Rat»." Argo turned to Hoven, waiting to hear what he had to say. "Every time you talk, you make sure to leave out certain details. When the people you are talking to ask for any other bits of information, you charge them some more."

"Actually," interrupted their default navigator, "you missed the part where no piece of information is too small for her to sell at a high price. She will keep baiting her clients with useless trivia, until they realize they are completely broke." _'Learned that the hard way.' _

After the discussion on the young business woman's profitable dealing, they continued exploring the vast cave network they were in. Apart from the occasionally above average enemy, the journey was mostly uneventful. As they delved deeper, the walls became more elaborate. There were traces of Greek, Chinese, Japanese,classical European, Egyptian, and many other countries none of them could recognize. Nearly every place was covered with carvings, murals, and tapestries with the same crystals they have seen up to now.

Rather than tell a story, each depicted the exact same scene. Seven figures standing before a man shrouded in darkness and a woman emitting a golden light. Behind them was what could clearly be identified as Aincrad. Despite the countless depictions, none showed a clear image of any of their faces or any clue as to their name or significance.

"Is anyone else thinking that we should try to figure out if what is on these pictures is important?"

"Don't worry, Kaine," said Mugetsu. "I already took a picture of each kind of picture. We can take care of finding out what they mean later. Let's focus on one quest at a time for now. Wouldn't you agree, Argo?"

"Oh~, so you plan on letting _me _join you on one of your _"epic adventures?" _Do you need me to spread stories of your heroic actions or is my company that welcome?"

"You know what, forget it. Hoven, Kaine! I was serious about this being my last player contract, and you two seem like people I can trust. So what would you two say to working together from now on?"

Both players were taken aback from the offer. On one hand he was easily among the top five players, on the other hand they had seen that trouble follows him like a plague. Still, if they did work together there should be no problems when trouble starts.

"Count us in," declared Kaine.

"No arguments here," said Hoven.

"Aww~ did I upset you?" The orange haired leader just ignored the info-broker's attempt at getting a reaction. "You know people will talk regardless of what I do. _Maybe _I could place you in a better light, if I'm an eye witness to your little outings."

"... Fine," Mugetsu relented but, there was still one thing he could do. " Actually, you just said _"people will talk regardless of what I do," _right? So your silence or praise, which ever, really does nothing for me."

"Ooh~? It seems my talent is starting to rub of on you." A quick look with narrow eyes stopped her. " So, what do you want?"

"Nothing too much, just part of our old deal and a few... expansions. You will still be in charge of looking for buyer. No point in keeping items with no use to us."

"Ok, easy enough. And the new part?"

"Information about the material market, free of charge at the beginning of each week."

"Is that all? You seem like there's something else you want to ask."

"A home." All three stopped for a moment to look straight at him. "I want you to go house hunting for me. Something secluded and not too fancy."

"You planning on hiding or something?"

"No," he responded with a sigh. "Just looking for a place where I can relax and enjoy myself from time to time. All this time, the only thing I have thought about was clearing the game. I know other have do the same but, many tend to get driven to obsession and die. They get carried away and commit mistakes that could have easily been avoided." Raising his head, Mugetsu signaled to the giant double doors. They sat atop the set of stairs they had arrived at. "Do all of you remember what I said my reason to live is?"

"Your family and friends, right? You said you wanted to see them again." Mugetsu gave Kaine a melancholic smile.

"That's right," he said. Slowly, he reached for the hilt of his sword. The others quickly mirrored his action and drew their respective weapon. "That's why I won't let my self be killed by some stupid mistake." The moment he said that, the entire hall they just entered lit up with veins of blue and green energy coursing through the walls.

Before them were four crystal pillars at the edge of a circle. The energy veins rapped around them and onto a small prism Henley in place at their center. The moment the circuit was completed, a bright beam shot to the ground.

" Well," said Argo, "looks like we found what all those crystals were for. They didn't open the door but, they do seem to be power _something _up."

"Probably the final boss of this quest," said Hoven. "Wonder if it will be anything like the last two."

"Well," responded the defacto leader, "we're about to find out."

* * *

**AN; Hopefully, I can get this quest done in the next two chapters. After that comes the desert journey, where things should really start picking up. Honestly, I have already put more work and effort into that than the current part. In any case, can any of you guess what I will be making them fight? What is the guardians' legacy, and how will it affect the future of this story? Leave your thoughts in the reviews or just PM me.**


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